Life in New Zealand | Captain Mark Dexterhttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/
en-GBWed, 21 Feb 2018 17:27:27 -0400http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssSandvox 2.10.11Back to Basics Rally 2017http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/back-to-basics-rally-2017.html
<div class="article-summary"><p style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">I had no idea exactly what the back to basics rally was actually all about. How basic exactly was ‘basic’ meant to be? I knew I needed a tent and sleeping bag so accommodation would be basic. I knew I was going to camp in a paddock and not a nice and comfy motel room somewhere. That was fairly basic. I knew that some of my riding mates would be telling some fairly basic jokes after a few beers in the evening. They are always basic in content. Would I need a trowel to dig a hole in the paddock for the morning constitutional? Did I need to take some tinned tucker or the sort you buy in camp shops that look like cement and upon adding boiling water turn into a roast dinner for three? I had no idea. There was only one way to find out. Get on the bike and go.
</p><p style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" class="MsoNormal">So one fine Friday morning in late February a group of Cantabrian Ulyssians gathered in Amberley for the run north to Kaituna near Havelock.
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</p><p style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" class="MsoNormal">It was a beautiful morning. Warm and sunny. With Sate highway 1 still blocked our route took us through the Lewis Pass to Springs Junction, up the Shenandoah Highway to Murchison for lunch.
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Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:35:19 -0400http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/back-to-basics-rally-2017.htmlRide to Gore Bay and Kaikourahttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/ride-to-gore-bay-and-kaikou.html
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>My motorcycling Buddy striking a pose at Gore Bay.</p><p><br /></p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>my 2006 Harley Road King and his 2012 Ducati Monster</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p style="text-align: center;">An overcast but quiet day at Gore Bay</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Low lying fog off Kaikoura.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>The Hurunui river lies behind us as the road snakes its way through the hills.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>A quick leg stretch. Leo catches up.</p></div>
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</div><p>It was a fantastic day. If anybody wants advice on motorcycling the roads of New Zealand drop me a line. They are simply amazing.
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Sat, 14 Nov 2015 04:12:54 -0400http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/ride-to-gore-bay-and-kaikou.htmlThe adventure begins againhttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/the-adventure-begins-again.html
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>My Langstroth Hive.</p></div>
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</div><p>Bees will be buzzing around our garden once again in the not too distant future.
</p><p>I bought a <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langstroth_hive" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(1, 25, 147);">Langstroth hive</span></a><span style="color: rgb(1, 25, 147);"> </span></strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">from the UK when we moved back to New Zealand. It is made from Red Cedar which is naturally rot resistant. Hives in New Zealand tend to be made of pine or similar and need treating and looking after much more than red cedar. On our household declaration to the Ministry of Agriculture we had to declare we had a beehive even though it was still in kit form and contained no bee products, just wood. That rang the alarms in New Zealand who are quite rightly very protective of their own flora and fauna. The kit was inspected top to bottom and released.</span>
</p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Here it is after having been assembled and painted in undercoat. The red cedar can be left but will go grey in the sun. It can be oiled with boiled linseed oil. In New Zealand boxes are dipped in paraffin wax to treat them. We decided to paint ours to become a garden feature.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">After a few coats of Lavender paint the main nest box called the brood box, lid and legs looks like this. The sloping platform to the right is the landing board. The bees land here before walking up into the hive entrance.</span></p>
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Thu, 12 Nov 2015 05:08:19 -0400http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/the-adventure-begins-again.htmlA wine tasting trip to Marlboroughhttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/a-wine-tasting-trip-to.html
<div class="article-summary"><p>A group of us took a run up state highway one to Picton, stayed an overnight and became wine connoisseurs for a few hours.What did I enjoy most? The ride. It was a lot better than most of the wines we tried. The run up the Pacific coast highway north of Kaikoura is in my opinion one of the best motorcycling roads around. Twisty, scenic and not a dull stretch on it. SoI will let the photos do the talking.
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Early morning gathering in Amberley</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>My Road King sits ready to go.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Debbie with Ruru and Anni waiting for the start</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Petrol and coffee stop at Kaikoura. The mountains beckon.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p style="text-align: center;">One of the tasting rooms. This one was at <a href="https://giesen.co.nz/home/" target="_blank">Geisen </a>wines.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p style="text-align: center;">Young Terrence being escorted into the <a href="http://drylands.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(255, 47, 146);">Drylands winery</span></a> tasting room by Thea and Debbie.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 47, 146);"><a href="http://prenzel.com/" target="_blank">PRENZEL</a> </span>tastings. Not wine but distilled goodies. This place is well worth a visit.</p></div>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>A lovely cafe at <a href="http://www.thestore.kiwi/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(255, 47, 146);">Kekerengu</span></a>.</p></div>
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</div><p>Finally on the way home we stopped off at this cafe. It sits on the beach and was a perfect rest stop on the way home.
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Sun, 18 Oct 2015 19:40:07 -0300http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/a-wine-tasting-trip-to.htmlKaikourahttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/kaikoura.html
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</div><p>The town of Kaikoura lies around an hour and a half from where we live so approx 2 hours north of Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Due to the shape of the seabed combined with the ocean currents in the area, Kaikoura is the whale capital of New Zealand. Being so close to home we had to visit. In the seven years we were here previously we never did.
</p><p>We set off on a warm and breezy day and had lunch at the NorthWest cafe in Amberley which is a small town only about 20 minutes north of our house. It was recommended by a friend of ours. It did not disappoint. Clams known as pipis in New Zealand served on spaghetti with chorizo and chillies and accompanied by crusty bread was the lunch order for two. It was wonderful.
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</div><p>The road north is state highway one. It sounds grand<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">. It is a two lane highway that meanders through the magnificent scenery. This is no autobahn, freeway or motorway. In Britain we would call it an A road but this is the countries main artery running the entire length of both islands. I love it. It follows the railway line on the coast. There is very little traffic in either direction.</span>
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Fri, 08 May 2015 04:30:51 -0300http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/kaikoura.htmlANZAC Dayhttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/anzac-day.html
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</div><p>Lying on the down wind side of the Southern Alps means that the strangest cloud formations are not uncommon.
</p><p>Today is ANZAC day. In the US you have Veterans Day and in Europe, Remembrance Day. Here and in Australia ANZAC Day is the day where we traditionally remember those people that gave their lives for our freedom. On this day 100 years ago the ANZAC soldiers made the disastrous landing on the Gallipoli beaches during WW1. Services of remembrance are hold all over the country.
</p><p>Since I last wrote much has happened. We have finally had an offer accepted on a house and we will move in on April 30th.
</p><p>We have taken a wander around Christchurch City to see where progress has been made or otherwise since the terrible earthquakes of 2010/11. The Cathedral still awaits the bureaucratic process to grind towards a decision on its future. Other parts of the city are still undergoing demolition and in the three years since we left new buildings have sprung up. Many of the roads in the eastern suburbs still lie in a rather alarming state. But progress is progress. It is going to take some years to sort this all out.
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Sat, 25 Apr 2015 02:34:38 -0300http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/anzac-day.htmlSettling inhttp://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/first-post.html
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Evening comes at the Bowers’ House.</p></div>
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</div><p>We are settling into life back in New Zealand. We are staying with some friends that have put us up and leant us a car to get around. We owe them a tremendous debt. They are the same people that put us up when we first moved to New Zealand in 2006. What can I say?
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</div><p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">We have spent the past week checking out properties and rediscovering old friendships. Driving into the city and around and about nothing has changed that much. The rebuild of the city is well underway but life goes on. We spent today in a small township called Woodend which is a leafy suburb to the north of Christchurch. Wooden beach is stunningly lovely with a beach friend by a conifer plantation. It was 27C today so we spent some time walking along the shore. Tomorrow is Good Friday and a day off house hunting. We are back viewing on saturday.</span></p>
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<div class="figure-content caption"><p>Not a bit like Trowbridge.</p></div>
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Tue, 24 Mar 2015 18:24:29 -0300http://markdexter.fatcow.com/Captain_Mark_Dexter/new-zealand/first-post.html